Five Years
by Mahoney-Rae
Summary: Sequel to Never Had a Doubt. Riddick leaves to finish some Furyan business, promising Ziza to return in five years. A lot has changed, a lot is at risk. There is much to loose, and so much more to gain. Rated T for language.
1. The Promise

I just had to elaborate on my one shot because there is just not enough Ziza/Riddick fanfiction!

This story is not a Ziza/Riddick pairing as he will be way to old for her. So! It is a purely platonic relationship sort of story, for those of you who were worried. ^^

Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own anything

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><p><strong>Chapter 1: The Promise<strong>

Riddick often wondered what it was about little girls that tamed him so. He didn't care about what adults thought of him. He didn't mind when they flinched away from his gaze or when they whispered horrible things about him. But in the moment when Ziza calls him a monster, Riddick knew he'd lose whatever humanity he had left. The ex-Lord Marshall wasn't in denial about the fact that the eleven year old girl was now the center of his universe.

Though it was evident that taking Ziza away from her mother would no doubt send more mercs after him, Riddick still entertained the thought of kidnapping the girl. Not that Ziza would mind one bit.

"When are you leaving?" The question was quiet but confident. Riddick turned his head to the preteen sitting cross legged in her father's chair. They had made it a habit of meeting in the Iman's old office once the sun went down.

Ziza shifted under his goggled gaze. "It's just that, I know you can't stay here forever. Even if I asked you to, you wouldn't. So that's why I wanna know." She explained.

Ziza was a smart kid. Riddick learned over the short week they'd reunited, that for an eleven year old, the girl was extremely intuitive. It surprised and almost irked him that the girl seemed to know his tendencies when they've only ever met once before, and that was five years ago. But Ziza's intuition was also a comfort that prevented Riddick from ever disappointing or hurting the preteen. If the girl already knew, then Big Evil would never have to say anything.

"I've got some things I need to take care of." He answered after a long pause. He wondered if he could bullshit his way through the conversation and not explain what he already had trouble trying to figuring out.

"Like what?" The curious eleven years old asked. Her eyes were wide and she sat up a little straighter as if waiting to hear the most exciting adventure of her life. Riddick hesitated. Seeing Ziza giving him all her attention like that reminded him of Jack. The Furyan peeled off his goggles and massaged the corners of his eyes. Five years still wasn't long enough for old ghosts to disappear.

"It's complicated, kid." He mumbled a moment later.

The preteen slumped back into her father's chair. "Try?" She asked timidly, still looking at the dark anti-hero with wide hopeful eyes. Somewhere, Riddick knew Aereon was laughing at him. The ex-Lord Marshal walked to the balcony doors and gazed out at the rejuvenating metropolis. He leaned against the wall, seriously considering calling it a night just to avoid answering the girl. She didn't need to know. It really wasn't any of her business. His shit had nothing to do with her…

"The Necros destroyed my home planet when I was just a baby." Riddick began, still not looking at the young girl.

"They're basically the reason I became Big Evil in the first place…I was left in the trash because of them. Now I've got to go ho—" No. That doesn't sound right. Richard B. Riddick didn't have a home. A pregnant pause stuffed the room and the convict instantly regretted revealing his intentions. The last thing he wanted was the girl's pity.

"Will you come back?"

Riddick turned to the young girl who was still beaming at him hopefully. Honestly, how could he deny her? Richard B. Riddick had gone soft—no, not soft—God knows what he'd do to anyone who even dared to lay a hand on her. Even the beast growled at the thought. No, Riddick wasn't soft.

He was pack less.

"Sure, kid." The ex-con replied with a small grin. The grin got a little wider as Ziza's expression brightened tenfold. Seriously, where was this girl ten years ago? She was way easier to please than Jack. The thirty-five year old man strolled over to his new pack mate, because that's what she was, pack. Ziza watched him approach her and hopped out of her father's chair so that protector could sit, because that's what he was, her protector. The ex Lord Marshal took the seat and allowed Ziza to plop herself on his lap. She leaned in to him as he instinctively wrapped his arms around her. And they stayed like that until the eleven year old fell asleep.

Riddick stood, carrying the sleeping girl back to her room and placed her on her bed.

"Five years." He whispered into her ear. "You've got five years to make something of yourself, kid."

The Furyan watched her until her mother came home and then silently exited through the girl's window.


	2. The Family

Yay, teenage Ziza!

disclaimer: Riddick isn't mine...no matter how much I wish for him.

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><p><strong>Chapter 2: The Family<strong>

"Ziza! Ziza would you please come down? We are about to start!" A tall brown skinned man called from the bottom of the steps. He was dressed in khaki slacks and a tucked in light green button down shirt. His dark curly locks were gelled back neatly on his head. The man's calm dark brown eyes searched the top of the second floor for the teenager.

"Coming, Baba!" The seventeen year old responded. Ziza quickly finished typing something on her computer before snapping the laptop close and racing down the stairs.

Four years ago her mother brought home Emem explaining to Ziza that she was going to have a new father. The thirteen year old instantly balked at the idea and made her opinion of their union very clear whenever she could. But that was to be expected of a thirteen year old and Emem surprised Ziza by being understanding and respecting her opinion.

Emem was the kind of person whom it was hard not to like. And Ziza found out quickly that they had a lot more in common than she would care to admit. Emem and Lajiun were married that year and Ziza started calling him Baba not six months later. He was a good father and a loving husband, which was really all Ziza really wanted. Well, that wasn't quite right…

When she reached to bottom of the stairs her step father smiled at her and guided her to the dining room where the rest of their family was waiting. Her mother stood over the table lighting candles on the cake that sat in the center. She cradled her swollen stomach with her free arm and smiled at the two entering the room. Lajiun was pregnant with twins and Ziza couldn't wait to meet her new baby siblings.

Already sitting at the head of the table was Emem's mother whom was the bane of Ziza's existence. Amina was a hard woman who was brought up on old traditions and was constantly getting on Ziza's case for not being a proper Chrislam woman. She sat up straight with her hands folded neatly in her lap and her legs crossed neatly under the table. Her black and grey hair was pulled back into a neat bun. It was painful just looking at the woman. Ziza was sure that if Amina had her way, the seventeen year old would have been sent off to an all girls boarding school that taught her how to be a good wife. The thought alone made Ziza want to hurl. Thank goodness her mother also hated the idea.

On the far side of the table sat Sahkr, Emem's twenty five year old brother whose birthday they were celebrating. He was a spitting image of his older brother, but he had a more pronounced jaw much like his mother's. To his left was and his girlfriend Nima who was one of the most beautiful woman Ziza had ever seen. She had light brown skin, kind brown eyes and long jet black Indian hair. Quiet the opposite of Ziza's curly mane. They were like her older siblings rather than uncle and soon to be aunt.

"Zee, what were you doing up there?" Nima asked the seventeen years old when she approached the table.

"Homework," The girl sighed, "I wanted to finish this problem before all the math bunnies flew out of my head and it stopped making sense."

Emem, Nima and Sahkr laughed. Lajiun just smiled and shook her head before taking her respective seat to the left of her daughter. Emem stood at the other end of the dinner table and raised his glass toward his little brother.

"I just want to say that I am truly blessed to be alive to witness such a beautiful sight. My little brother, you make me proud everyday and I thank Allah for giving us another year with you and may he bless us with many more."

"Here here!" Ziza smiles and raises her own glass of non-alcoholic beverage to her uncle. The girl could hear her grandmother scoff at her outburst, but Ziza ignored her as the other members of the table joined her.

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><p>"So, Ziza, how's the tech school coming? You're getting good grades, yeah?" Sahkr asked. Diner was over and it was Ziza's turn to clear the table and wash dishes. Her uncle had stayed behind to help.<p>

"It's going great, Sah-Sah. Just wish I wasn't surrounded by—"

"Boys?" He teased, wiggling his eyebrows up and down. Ziza just snorted and shook her head.

"Jerks."

Sahkr nodded his head understandingly. "Ah, well be careful when you destory their egos, Zee-Zee. Sometimes our ego is all we men have." He winks at his niece before disappearing into the kitchen. Ziza giggles and follows him.

"Well, they're not all jerks." She admits as they begin to wash the dishes.

"Oh, so who are we talking about then?"

"This kid, Malik. He's in my java class and he just...ugh! I want to strangle him sometimes!" The seventeen year old vents. Sahkr laughs at his nieces expense, much to her obvious frustration.

"It sounds like he likes you Zee-Zee." He playfully nudges the girl next to him. Ziza was like the little sister he never had and he never missed an opportunity to tease her.

The teenager groans, "Yeah, except he has a girlfriend. So really, he's just a dumb prick."

"Hey now!"Sahkr covers Ziza's mouth and looks around the kitchen.

"Have you forgotten that your grandmother is here?" He whispered to her. Ziza just roles her eyes and pushes her uncles hand away.

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><p>"Tech school, huh?"<p>

"Yes. Her teachers in secondary school said she showed exceptional skills in math and science and recommended her for the program." Emem explained to the dark figure on the screen.

"What's she studying?" a low voice asked.

"She's in general courses right now but she seems interested in computer programming and mechanical engineering. "

The man on the other end let out a low whistle showing he was impressed.

"Got quite a daughter there, Emem. She's got high expectations for herself."

"Yeah, but you know, I worry for her Jeb."

"How so?"

"I don't know. It's just a feeling I get whenever I look at her. It's like—it's like she's preparing for something."

"Yeah, a kick ass future."

Emem shakes his head, "No, it's different. I don't know how to quiet explain it."

"Ah, well, maybe it's just your daddy instincts kicking in. She's seventeen, right? Soon you'll have more pressing matters to worry about like boys."

"Ugh, don't remind me. I've been lucky so far. Hopefully I won't have to worry about it until I'm too old to care."

"Ha! Good luck with that my friend."

Emem smiled back at his old school mate. He hadn't seen Jeb in many years. But that was to be expected of the mercenary. He had jobs all over the known universe. Emem never really approved of Jeb's chosen lifestyle, but the man was a free spirit who did as he liked.

"Well I'll catch up with you soon. I've got a potential client in the Helion system. I might swing by for a bit." Jeb stretched.

"Yeah, just let me know."

"Will do, bud. Lata."

And the feed cut.

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><p>Dun Dun Duuuuuuh!<p> 


	3. The Pack

**Disclaimer: I own nothing**

Welcome to Furya! Enjoy ^^

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><p><strong>Chapter 3: The Pack<strong>

Riddick massaged his temple as the obnoxious bickering of his pack mates grew louder and more violent. Juna and Rejus' little spat over whose turn it was to take out the trash had snowballed into a full out brawl in a little less than two minutes. This shit needed to stop. They needed to get fucking laid. He needed to get fucking laid.

"Boys!" the alpha finally barked. The two brothers instantly fell quiet and cautiously faced their pack leader.

"Shut. The fuck. Up." Riddick seethed. The two pups bowed their heads and quickly exited the room. Where was Kayla? The little migraines were her responsibility.

Six years ago he returned to the plant Furya surprised to find that many of his people, who had hidden themselves throughout the stars, had returned. There was still a scant amount of them left, but it was enough to start rebuilding what once was. Riddick soon found himself the alpha of a rag tag group of Furyans who didn't seem to fit in with the other established packs. Total, there were about seven pack families. The largest had about thirty members. Riddick's had seven, soon to be eight once Kayla and Mackie have their cub. Nine, if you want to count Aereon, who had taken it upon herself to make sure Riddick stayed to do his part. But Riddick still had a slight sore spot for the old Elemental so he purposely kept her out of their numbers.

Other packs had non-Furyan mates too. Some even had half Furyans. There was even a political debate among the alphas about non-Furyan pack mates. Some "purist" packs even went as far as demanding they treat those of non Furyan decent as second class citizens until the population increased. And while Riddick didn't give two fucks on the issue, he did enjoy jerking around the other alphas by giving cryptic and slightly maniacal suggestions whenever the council asked for his thoughts. Making people squirm was still one of the ex-con's favorite pass times. It also ensured that none of those power grubbing pricks would ever consider messing with Riddick and his own. He was still Big fucking Evil, and no one messed with his shit and got away with it.

Six long years of rebuilding, discussing, arguing and growing. It was the longest Riddick had stayed anywhere and his body was itching for the black. It had been since his first four months on this planet. Riddick got up from his spot on the couch and climbed the up winding stairs to the roof of their ship.

Their makeshift home was a new model cargo ship Riddick commandeered on his way off New Mecca. Riddick didn't bother having a house built like the rest of his pack. He had convinced himself that he wasn't staying long enough to need one. But that was before he met El, and the rest of his motley crew. Still, even after somewhat settling, Riddick continued to entertain the fact that he would be leaving soon. Especially, since he need to go pick up a certain seventeen year old.

The crisp night air softly pinched his skin and the ex-convict climbed out of the hatch. He pulled off his goggles and gazed up into the black. Faint dots of light shown through his vision. Out of all the alphas on Furya, he was the only one with silver eyes. Some were wary of him, others were jealous, a few believed him to be the one true alpha. Riddick didn't give a fuck and he certainly didn't want to be responsible for an entire fucking race let alone a whole planet.

His mercury orbs immediately began searching for the Helion system, where he left a certain cub to wait for him. He was late, he knew. She would be seventeen by now and probably starting college. He wondered what sort of person she had become. He hoped that when he did return, she would be there unlike a certain cub he once knew.

"Sometimes, I wonder if you even care about Furya." A voice behind him mused.

"You want the truth?" Riddick turned to look at his beta. Ellery's arms were crossed as she stared at him. After a moment she shook her head and sighed. The short, dark haired woman uncrossed her arms giving up an pretense of being upset with him.

"No, but I feel like I already know the answer." She admitted as she joined him. Riddick hummed in agreement and returned his gaze to the stars.

"It's been six years, Riddick. I doubt anyone's still looking for you." Ellery added, hoping to keep her alpha here a little bit longer. Riddick paused and looked down at the twenty-eight year old. She had a scar that reached from her left eye down across her face to her right jaw. Her first alpha, a real piece of work, did that to her. Ellery said she was only a juvie then and had done something trivial that set him off. He'd still be alive if he hadn't met Riddick.

But all Riddick could think about was how Jack would have been her age if she had lived. And the scar on her face sparked something close to the same unadulterated rage he felt for Zhylaw.

"It ain't mercs I'm worried about." Riddick admitted.

"Then what?" the beta demanded. She had just as much spit fire as Kiera.

"I've been runnin' all my life, El. The black is all I know."

His beta avoided his gaze. He could smell the tears that were threatening to fall from her eyes.

"I know that, Riddick. But that's not what's got you up here almost every night."

Riddick knew what this pack meant to Ellery, what _he_ meant to Ellery. They were the only stable things in her entire life.

"You're right, kiddo. It's not."

His beta glared up at him fiercely. "Then who is it, Riddick? Who's the girl that's got you wishing you were somewhere else?"

The ex-convict stared hard at Ellery. She was out of line, but he wasn't in the mood to put her in her place, so he waited until his beta calmed down before answering,

"A pup." Riddick watched as Ellery's mouth fell open in surprise. "She was the daughter of an old friend I once knew. I promised her I'd be back in five years." He continued.

"To be honest I don't even know why I came back to this place." The alpha admitted. "It was never home."

There was a silent pause between them. The two listened out into the night, enjoying the quiet sounds of the forests around them. Ellery wiped her eyes and cleared her throat. "So it's decided then?"

Riddick frowned in confusion.

"We take the ship, grab the pup, and live life out in the black." She said in a matter of fact tone. Riddick stared down at the beta for a long time before he smirked and looped his arm around the girl. Ellery instantly leaned into him and he guided them back to the hatch where they would break the news to the rest of the pack.

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><p>Meet the Pack<p>

**Alpha**: Riddick, age: 41 (but looks about 30. in this story Furyans age slowly. Plus all that time cryo he's probably way older than that, but for the sake of the story...)

**Beta**: Ellery Wellick, age:28

**Subs**: Kayla Maginnis, age: 35

Mackie Maginnis, age: 38

**Juvies/cubs**: Juna Lauren, age: 17

Rejus Lauren, age 17

**omega**: Corine Pope, age: 32

Backgrounds will come later! Reviews are super welcome!


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